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Gandhian Philosophy

Last updated on September 14, 2023 by ClearIAS Team

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi was a unique personality.

What made him special?

What were his views? What is the importance of Gandhian Philosophy? How it is relevant in modern times?

Table of Contents

What is Gandhian philosophy?

Gandhian Philosophy is the religious and social ideas adopted and developed by Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhian Philosophy exists on several planes – spiritual or religious, moral, political, economic, social, individual, and collective.

Gandhian Philosophy emphasizes not utopian idealism, but practical idealism.

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Roots of Gandhian Philosophy

Gandhi was born in India in 1869. From 1893 to 1914 he lived in South Africa. Later, he emerged as the face of Indian freedom movement .

The base of Gandhian philosophy is the spiritual or religious component. He was a firm believer in God.

He was also a believer in humanity.

He believed that human nature is good. He considered all people are capable of moral development.

Gandhiji developed these ideologies from various inspirational sources such as  Bhagavad Geeta ,  Jainism, Buddhism, Bible, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Tolstoy, and John Ruskin among others.

Leo Tolstoy’s book ‘ The Kingdom of God is within you ” had a deep influence on Mahatma Gandhi. The same was the case with John Ruskin’s ‘Unto This Last’.

Gandhiji paraphrased Ruskin’s book ‘Unto This Last’ as ‘Sarvodaya’, which meant the upliftment of all.

The goal of Gandhi was to change society and each individual using the values of honesty and nonviolence.

These ideas were further developed by many followers of Gandhi who proudly called themselves “Gandhians”.

Those who actively followed Gandhian principles in life include Vinoba Bhave,  Jayaprakash Narayan, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Also read: Acharya Vinoba Bhave

Important Gandhian Philosophies

1. truth and non-violence.

These are generally considered to be the two key ingredients of Gandhian thought.

It is possible to pursue one without the other. Thus, seeking the truth can be done violently. Nations enter conflicts assuming they are on the side of truth or that the truth is on their side.

Those who are more sensitive and think the truth is on their side demand that a just war should be fought instead of one that is avoided at all costs.

The most sensitive were the pacifists among them. By avoiding violence altogether. But it could be argued that in doing so they have gone too far and abandoned truth, especially when interpreted as justice.

Even Mahatma Gandhi argued that although he was opposed to war, the two parties engaging in it may not stand on the same plane: the cause of one side could be more just than the other so that even a nonviolent person might wish to extend his or her moral support to one side rather than to the other.

Thus just as it is possible to pursue truth without being nonviolent, it is also possible to pursue nonviolence without pursuing truth.

It could be proposed that such a disjunction between the two runs the risk of cowardice being mistaken for, or masquerading as nonviolence.

The point becomes clear if we take the word “truth” to denote the “right” thing to do in a morally charged situation.

Gandhi’s opinion on the Non-violent Way

By using a non-violent approach, we aim to eliminate capitalism, not the capitalist. We encourage the investor to think of himself as a trustee for people who rely on him to create, hold onto, and grow his capital.

The worker is not required to wait for his conversion. Work is power if money is. Both are depending upon one another.

The moment the worker recognizes his potential, he is in a position to stop being the capitalist’s slave and start sharing in his success.

If he aims at becoming the sole owner, he will most likely be killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

No need for me to worry that someone will replace me if I refuse to cooperate. Because I hope to persuade my co-workers to oppose my employer’s wrongdoing, This method of mass worker education is undoubtedly a slow one, but as it is also the most reliable, it must also be the fastest.

It is simple to show in the end that the worker is right and that no human being is so flawless as to merit his eliminating the person whom he mistakenly believes to be completely evil.

2. Satyagraha

The concept was introduced in the early 20th century by Mahatma Gandhi and designated a determined but nonviolent resistance to evil.

The supreme idea of truth naturally leads to the Gandhian ideology of Satyagraha. Protecting the standards and tenets of truth is essential if it is the ultimate reality. God, who is the utmost truth and reality, requires a votary who is completely compassionate and unselfish.

Gandhi’s Satyagraha became a major tool in the Indian struggle against British imperialism and has since been adopted by protest groups in other countries.

The ancient Indian philosophy of ahimsa, or “non-injury,” which is rigorously practised by Jains, many of whom reside in Gujarat, where Gandhi was raised, is the inspiration behind Satyagraha.

Gandhi also drew inspiration from the works of Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau, the Bible, and the Bhagavad Gita, on which he produced a commentary, to modernize the notion of ahimsa and give it broad political implications as Satyagraha.

Gandhi first conceived Satyagraha in 1906 in response to a law discriminating against Asians that was passed by the British colonial government of the Transvaal in South Africa.

In 1917, the Champaran district, which produced indigo, hosted the first Satyagraha campaign in India. Fasting and economic boycotts were used as Satyagraha tactics in India over the ensuing years, up until the British left in 1947.

Since Satyagraha depends on the opponent, who is the embodiment of evil, upholding a high standard of ethical conduct, and demands an unreasonably high level of commitment from those working for social change, critics of the movement have asserted that it is unrealistic and incapable of achieving universal success.

These arguments have been made both during Gandhi’s lifetime and since.

However, Satyagraha left a lasting legacy in South Asia and was a key component of the civil rights movement headed by Martin Luther King Jr. in the United States.

3. Sarvodaya

The word “Sarvodaya” means “Universal Uplift” or “Progress of All.” The phrase was first used by Mohandas Gandhi to describe the aim of his political philosophy in his 1908 translation of “Unto This Last,” a work by John Ruskin on political economy.

Later Gandhians adopted the phrase as a moniker for the social movement in post-independence India that worked to ensure that self-determination and equality reached all strata of Indian society, including the Indian nonviolence leader Vinoba Bhave.

Objects of the Sarvodaya Movement

The Sarvodaya Movement has as its target the establishment of a whole network of such self-supporting village communities.

 Family ties, which are currently restricted to blood groups, will be extended to include the entire village, erasing any disparities based on race, creed, caste, language, and other factors.

The planning of agriculture will ensure that there is enough food for everyone. Up until everyone in the hamlet has a job, the industry will operate on a cottage basis.

Village Council, a body that represents the entire village, will be responsible for determining the requirements of the community.

Principles of the Sarvodaya

• There is no centralized authority, and there is a political and economic atmosphere in the villages.
•  The spirit of love, fraternity, truth, nonviolence, and self-sacrifice will permeate all people. The foundation of society will be nonviolence.
• There will be no party system and majority rule and society will be free from the evil of the tyranny of the majority.
• Socialist in the truest sense, the Sarvodaya society. The same ethical, social, and financial standards will apply to all calls. The greatest potential for development exists within each person’s personality.
•  Sarvodaya society is based on equality and liberty. There is no room in it for unwholesome competition, exploitation, and class hatred.
• Sarvodaya is a symbol of universal progress. Every person should work independently and adhere to the concept of non-possession. The goal of: from each according to his effort and each according to his needs will then be achievable.
• There won’t be any private property, which serves as a weapon of exploitation and a breeding ground for prejudice and hatred. Similar to how the profit motive will vanish, rent and interest will also disappear.
• The Sarvodaya Movement is based on Truth, nonviolence, and Self-denial.
• The Sarvodaya Movement makes an earnest and audacious effort to foster the environment required to unite such people with steadfast trust in the Welfare of All.
• The benefit to the person would be little. Each quality’s growth is dependent on every other quality. If every quality were somewhat enhanced, the person would benefit more.

4. Swadeshi

The combination of two Sanskrit terms yields the English word “Swadeshi,” which has Sanskrit roots. Swa and desh both refer to one’s own or one’s nation.

Swadesh, therefore, refers to one’s homeland. The adjectival version of the word swadeshi, which means “of one’s own country,” can be loosely translated as “self-sufficiency” in most settings.

The message of the Charkha

Gandhiji asserts that the Charkha has the distinction of being able to address the issue of economic distress in a way that is most logical, straightforward, affordable, and professional.

It stands for both the wealth and freedom of the country. It represents commercial peace rather than commercial strife.

The spinning-meaning wheel is considerably bigger than its diameter. Simple life, helping others, living without hurting others, and forging an unbreakable tie between the wealthy and the poor, capital and labour, and the prince and the peasant are all part of its teachings. Naturally, the bigger lesson applies to everyone.

5. Trusteeship

Trusteeship is a key component of Gandhian economics that could be called the nonviolent equivalent of ownership.

The idea was taken from English law by Gandhi. It denotes that one is a trustee rather than the owner of their belongings, including eventually their skills or abilities.

All must be used for the greater good of society, which includes one’s own welfare in the end. In this system, material possessions do not serve as status symbols that increase our sense of self-worth.

Trusteeship is a successful strategy for reducing excessive consumption. The economy might be rebalanced under trusteeship and put its focus back on pressing needs.

Gandhi believed that possessing more than one need necessarily entails robbing others of their requirements. There is enough on the earth to meet everyone’s needs, but not enough to satisfy everyone’s greed, he said.

The relevance of Gandhian Philosophy in Modern Times

Make in India is a manifestation of Gandhi’s ideals of self-sufficiency.

Gandhi’s philosophy of inclusive growth is fundamental to the building of a resurgent rural India.

He believed in “production by the masses” rather than in mass production, a distinctive feature of the industrial revolution.

Environment

 Gandhi warned the country of unrestricted industrialism and exploitation of nature for human greed.

The results of not adhering to Gandhian environmentalism are serious environmental damage and non-sustainable development.

Administration

By emulating Gandhi’s values of non-violence and Satyagraha, internal matters such as insurgency issues in Kashmir, central India, or the North-Eastern states might be handled much better.

International

Even India’s foreign policy is founded on peaceful coexistence, and this is seen in the fact that India does not engage in aggression initially, even when security threats mount.

To conclude we can say that most of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi hold relevance even in today’s world.

Seven Social Sins by Mahatma Gandhi

Seven Social Sins by Mahatma Gandhi were first published in his newspaper Young India in 1925. Those are a comprehensive list of behaviours that cause serious harm to society.

1. Wealth without Work

2. Pleasure without Conscience

3. Knowledge without Character

4. Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics)

5. Science without Humanity

6. Religion without Sacrifice

7. Politics without Principle

• Wealth without Work:  It depicts making wealth by unfair means, by taking shortcuts. Examples: Black Money, Tax evasion, scams, insider trading, etc.
• Pleasure without Conscience:  Earning happiness at the expense of others is equivalent to sin. Selfishness compels a person to disregard the needs of others. Without moral justification, it would promote bad practices. Additionally, it would lead to a rise in drug and alcohol abuse as well as mindless shopping.
• Knowledge without character:  A person with character possesses attributes of honesty and integrity. A person who commits this vice may end up like Osama Bin Laden, while a person with moral character may end up like Swami Vivekananda.
• Business without morality:  One particular segment of the community would end up being overworked at the expense of another. Social friction and community conflict would rise as a result of this. Examples of this sin include unsafe working conditions, adulteration, and lack of security.
• Science without humanity:  The huge pharmaceutical companies keep prescription prices high, making them unaffordable for the poor and those in need. If nuclear power is utilized to generate electricity, that is great, but using it to destroy nations like Hiroshima and Nagasaki by bombing is utterly immoral.
• Religion without sacrifice:  Today’s religion consists merely of rituals and activities. Sin is when we fail to live out the moral precepts of brotherhood, compassion, and affection.
• Politics without principle:  Criminalization of politics, unaccounted money, and use of muscle power shows politics without principle.

To read more about Mahatma Gandhi’s biography click here.

Article Written by: Remya

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GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHICAL THOUGHTS: RELEVANCE AND IMPORTUNITY IN 21 ST CENTURY

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Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted various concepts of metaphysics, political and social philosophy together with moral and religious philosophy. Although Gandhi has not given any new doctrine his interpretations on various concepts of philosophy like truth, God, non-violence, satyagraha etc. are enough to call him a philosopher and Gandhism as a philosophy. Metaphysical concept of Ganghiji is revealed in his views on truth, God, soul or mind. Truth is not an attribute of God but God is Truth. So Gandhi asserted that “Truth is God”. Mahatma Gandhi is a humanist and he believes that man is the best creations of God. God is within man. Gandhi’s philosophy of religion gives us a new way of thinking about religion. Gandhi shows his religious tolerance and belief in all religions. Gandhi prescribes certain moral principles for the development of man’s ethical personality. For Gandhiji, Satyagraha is the truth- force or soul-force. Gandhi used the word ‘Swaraj’ for political freedom. This paper is a humble attempt to highlight Gandhi’s contributions towards philosophy from purely philosophical and logical point of view.

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The central question emphasized by the paper is that whether in the 21 st century's globalized world the Gandhian message still has or could have any actuality in managing our century's real challenges such as terrorism or the deepening moral crisis of the humanity. In order to be able to do this, the paper will fi rst of all present, analyse and comment on the most important concepts I consider the Gandhian thought is based on such as satya (Truth), ahimsa (non-violence) and satyagraha (as Gandhi loosely translated: holding on to truth, which in fact is the philosophy and practice of the non-violent resistance). I have to admit that in my paper I will consider Gandhi as a philosopher or a thinker even if he did not agree with me or even if it were hard to consider him a philosopher according to European traditions and European canon regarding philosophy. As we know, he personally declared that writing an academic text was beyond his power and he was not built for such kind of writings. Secondly, the paper will emphasize those aspects and concepts of the Gandhian thought which could give an answer to the core question of the paper, trying to prove that at least two of the presented concepts could be considered relevant and useful in our times, even if at fi rst impression all of these key concepts of the Gandhian thought seem to be a utopia and useless. It seems that Gandhi, through his ideas and thoughts, " is still alive " and is among us after more than 60 years of his death. It seems that we, all human beings, still have to learn from the ideas, from the writings and acts of the Mahatma.

IMMANUEL GANESAN

The 21 st Century is identified as the age of growth and development. In midst of all the developments, it is the acceptable hour to stand still and think 'Is India really developing?' and 'Is humaneness present in human life?' An inquest into these two questions, reminds a lot about our charismatic leader Mahatma Gandhi, his philosophy and his teachings. This article envisages the facts behind the relevance of Gandhiji and his philosophy in today's sociopolitical environment.

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NON-VIOLENT, RESISTANCE, HUMANKINDS, REFORM, SATYAGRAH, NATIONALIST, POLITICAL, MOVEMENT. Looking back at the twentieth century, as it is almost at its end, it has been marked by the bloodiest conflicts ever known to Humankind. From the death and destruction, the annals of history will forever manifest those who contributed to the barbarous events and those who attempted to resist the inhumane acts of aggressors. Belonging to the latter, one personality seems to stand out amongst the lot of humanitarians and peace loving people- Mohandas K. Gandhi. Although Gandhi was a remarkable nationalist leader, he was less concerned with the ends of his actions and more with the means of achieving independence for India. Gandhi believed in the idea of non-violent resistance and civil disobedience. These two elements of Gandhi’s plan for Indian Independence

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M. K. Gandhi was a prominent figure in the realm of peace and humanism. He played a noteworthy role in the movement of peace and freedom. He bestowed a lot of ideas relating to socio-political dimension. Gandhi " s ideas are basically philosophical in nature as he was inspired by various great philosophers of the world. Gandhi generated ideas to create a positive change in society. We acquire new ideas by studying his thought. No doubt, he was a social engineer who tried to build a new human society where everyone can live peacefully. In case of social change Gandhi always tried to establish a welfare state by means of non-violence and truth. His ultimate dream was sarvodaya, means welfare to all. According to him, we cannot gain anything by violent means. Because violence brings destruction; but non-violence does not. Non-violence and truth help us to purify our soul. M.K. Gandhi always tried to bring a social change by peaceful means, which contributes a lot in understanding the power of truthfulness, love and affection. Keeping these views in mind this paper is an attempt to understand the socio-political philosophy of M. K. Gandhi and its relevance.

Economic & Political Weekly

Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeev Kumar

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This paper examined the nature of Gandhian political ideas. The concept of state, politics, democracy, leadership, decentralization, freedom, rights and duties, what were these meant for Gandhi and his future vision for India. Further, the paper studied Gandhi’s political contributions such as secularism, panchayats, abolition of untouchability, freedom of speech etc. in the Indian constitution and their relevance in the present age. In last, briefly, I had made some understanding of recent emerging challenges in present society and hope to resolve them in the light of Gandhian principles, so that true democracy could be prevail. Therefore, the focus of this paper was mainly on political ideas and political contributions of Gandhiji and their present relevance. His political ideas were stateless and partyless democracy, decentralization, freedom of speech, abolition of untouchability, moral politics, secularism etc. There is great relevance of Gandhian political ideas or values in the present age of increasing violence and intolerance.

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FD: Gandhi understood that self-interest, whether in its individual or collective form, represents the basic category of liberal politics. He also realised that it is not something given to us by nature but has to be set in place through considerable effort. Since interest conceived as ownership was tied to the regime of private property, however, it could only have a marginal existence in a place like India, where property and so ownership had not yet come to define all social relations. This meant that Indian social relations were often marked by modes of behaviour and practice, both violent and non-violent, that could not be accommodated within the logic of interest. Instead of trying to eliminate these altogether, which he thought an impossible task, Gandhi wanted to purify and expand them as forms of disinterest and altruism that deployed sacrifice in the cause of non-violence. He argued that all societies were in fact founded upon such sacrificial or disinterested relations, i...

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The Idea of Justice in Gandhian Philosophy

• First Online: 01 January 2023

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• Mritunjay Kumar 3  

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The Gandhian meditation on the principles of justice was a unique ensemble of ethics and praxis, universality and locality, and methods and goals. He successfully avoided the western dichotomy of means and ends. For him, means and end are not separate to each other rather integrally connected. To achieve the peace by a violent means or to search out the truth through criticism defeats the end. He was a great learner as well as un-learner, who unlearnt a great deal after learning, and avoided successfully the awe-inspiring commodification, emanated from the western scientific and philosophical thoughts. Nevertheless, he remained a devoted moral scientist and an exemplary experimenter with truth. In the western philosophy, from Aristotle onwards, the theory of justice was conceived as ‘universalizable principles’ and every autochthonous practice of justice in tribal societies or the polymorphous cultures in the so-called third world countries did not get due respect in the thematic enunciation of justice. The province of positive law expounded in the influence of Roman law by the theorists, like Bentham, Austin, and Hart, proposed to conform the normative demand of formalized state-law and denied the living as well as social and moral characters of legal expressions, found in the ancient and medieval Europe, Asiatic and tribal cultures. In the discipline of Ethics, the Kantian deontological ethics, unlike the Gandhian deontology, was developed as the categorical imperatives, universalized a few moral principles in quest of the categorical–universal appeal. The ‘universalization of right’, a transcendental legal concept, changed the conception of justice, stripping from its moral and social contents. The western philosophical journey has hitherto remained within the confines of ‘master–slave’ morality, whereas nature has been conceived, in modern outlook, as slave as per the method of Hegelian dialectics, which is required to be mastered by the most rational beings of the planet Earth in order to fulfil unquenchable wants and desires! The ‘commodified natural sphere’ has completely changed the relationship between the human species and nature. Gandhi was well aware about the much hyphenated relationship between the colonization and modernization and their reified effects on the human’s moral and political life. He did not accept the ‘methodological individualism’, the utilitarian technology of power and knowledge. His ethical self was an ‘un-alienated subject’, a social being, who interacted with nature and society as an insider. For Gandhi, justice was not a categorical end or instrumentalist means; it was not situated or located in the dichotomy of fact and norm. Justice, for him, was the acceptance of totality, which is more than a ‘justificatory paradigm of legal reasoning’. Justice, in Gandhian thought, is found in duty or in action, and its access is not desired or aspired as if it is nothing more than a will-o’-the-wisp!

Morality is the basis of things and truth is the substance of all morality . —M. K. Gandhi (M.K. Gandhi, ‘An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth: A Critical Edition’ (trans: Desai Mahadev), Navajivan Publishing House, Ahmedabad, p 98 (1927, 2018))

Assistant Professor of Law, Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla

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Gandhi Rajmohan, ‘Gandhi: The Man, His People, and the Empire’, University of California Press, Berkeley, p 241 (2007). See Gandhi 1921 ; (‘I do not want my house to be walled in on sides and my windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any’).

Mookherjee Braja Dulal, ‘The Essence of Bhagavad Gita’, Academic Publishers, Kolkata, p 91 (2002); (‘Better one’s own imperfect duty than well-performed duty of another; better death in doing one’s own duty; duty of another person is dangerous’).

Kant Immanuel, ‘Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals’ (eds: Ameriks Karl & M. Clarke Desmond). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 31–43 at 36 (1797, 1998).

Kant, Id ., at 31.

Kant, Id ., at 41, 43.

Foucault Michel, ‘The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences’, Routledge Classics, London & New York, pp 54, 387 (1966, 2005).

Havel Vaclav & M. Tutu Desmond, Introduction, In: The Responsibility to Protect: The Promise of Stopping Mass Atrocities in our Time (eds: Genser Jared & Cotler Irwin), Oxford University Press, Oxford, p XXV.

Article 51, The Charter of the United Nations, 1945 (‘Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security’).

Rich Jennifer, An Introduction to Critical Theory. Humanities-Ebooks, Tirril, p 66 (2007); (‘…the notion of the White Man’s Burden was a convenient excuse for the economic and social colonization of the Orient’).

Dasa Ratana, Gandhi in twenty-first century, Sarup & Sons, New Delhi, p 22 (2002); (‘Gandhiji dreamed about an India whose each village would be republic. The decision making process would start from below. No one in this village republic will be illiterate and no one would be unemployed, the village republic should be self-sufficient in economy’).

Spivak Gayatri Chakravorty, Preface to the English Edition, ‘In: Jacques Derrida’s Of Grammatology’ (trans: Spivak Gayatri Chakravorty), the John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore & London, p XVI (1998).

‘Suspicion jurisprudence’ is fundamentally related to the idea of self-centred welfare and non-cooperation with others. There is a general understanding among neoliberal economists that the role of collective identity or society should be suspected in the welfare on individual. According to Friedman Milton, ‘Capitalism and Freedom’, Fortieth Anniversary Edition, the University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, p 12 (1962, 2009); (‘As liberals, we take freedom of the individual, or perhaps the family, as our ultimate goal in judging social arrangements….in a society freedom has nothing to say about what an individual does with his freedom’).

Aristotle, Politics (trans: Jowett Benjamin), Dover Publications, New York, p 28 (400 B.C., 2000); (‘Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mere accident is without a state, is either a bad man or above humanity…’).

Berlin Isaiah, Freedom and Its Betrayal (ed: Hardy Henry), Princeton University Press, Princeton, p 224 (2002, 2014); (‘This is liberty in the positive sense of self-direction, and the perversions of the meaning of the word which occur when fallacious analogies are made between reason, which directs the lower emotions in the individual, and the governing elite, which has a similar right to despotic rule over the lower members of a society - these very fallacies are intelligible only on the assumption that one of the central meanings of the word liberty is self-direction, whether by a man over himself or by a group over its members. This alone makes it possible for men to call for leaders and claim that this in some sense liberates them’).

Bilgrami Akeel, Gandhi and the Mentality of Modernity, Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (2014) Available at: https://youtu.be/Pv9m6L_mptU . (last accessed 10 June 2020) Available at: https://youtu.be/Pv9m6L_mptU (last visited 10 June, 2020).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 191.

Parekh, supra note 11 at 100; (‘Gandhi thought that if political life could be spiritualized, it would have a profoundly transformative effect on the rest of society’).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 104.

Parekh, supra note 11 at 67; (‘…he experimented with whatever religious ideas appealed to him, rigorously tested their truth in the crucible of daily life and explored their existential potential and limits’).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 155–156; (‘Gandhi, as I said, believed that the fault-line which set us this path is the desacralization of nature that came from the outlook of modern science’).

Newton, supra note 6; See Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 142; ( Instrumentalist conception functions at the premise of treating something or someone merely as a means to other end. Nature, in instrumental sense, was conceptualized and treated like a ‘valueless’ and ‘inert object’, nothing more than an opportunity to be exploited). See also Heidegger 1977 , p 17; (Nature, in that sense, to invoke Heidegger’s nomenclature, is ‘standing-reserve’).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 161.

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Marx, Ibid.

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Polanayi, Id ., at 117; (‘Natural is that which is in accordance with the principles embodied in the mind of man…Nature in the physical sense was consciously excluded by Smith from the problem of wealth…Not the natural, but only the human factors enter. This exclusion of the biological and geographical factor in the very beginning of his book was deliberate. The fallacies of the Physiocrats served him as a warning; their predilection for agriculture tempted them to confuse physical nature with man’s nature, and induced them to argue that the soil alone was truly creative. Nothing was further from the mind of Smith than such a glorification of Physis. Political economy should be a human science; it should deal with that which was natural to man, not to Nature’. In that way, the science of political economy, developed by Utilitarians like Adam Smith and Jeremy Bentham, triumphed over the traditional Physiocrats; who invested their intellectual depths in protection of land from the exploitation of self-regulating free market).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 158.

Bilgrami, Id ., at 185; (David Hume and Adam Smith emphasized that nature has no value in itself; rather it is found in the human’s desires and in the moral sentiments of the humans).

Parekh, supra note 11 at 35.

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 133.

Bilgrami, Id ., at 134.

Bilgrami, Ibid.

Weber Max, The Vocation Lectures (eds: Owen David &. Strong Tracy B., trans: Livingstone Rodney) (2004). Hackett Publishing Co., Indianapolis & Cambridge, pp 12-13; (‘Thus the growing process of intellectualization and rationalization does not imply a growing understanding of the conditions under which we live….It means that in principle, then, we are not ruled by mysterious, unpredictable forces, but that, on the contrary, we can in principle control everything by means of calculation. That in turn means the disenchantment of the world’).

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Chomsky Noam, Class Warfare: Interviews with David Barsamian. Pluto Press, London, pp 19–23, 27–31 (1996); (‘There are huge efforts that do go into making people, to borrow Adam Smith’s phrase, as stupid and ignorant as it is possible for a human being to be. A lot of the educational system is designed for that, if you think about it, it is designed for obedience and passivity’).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 146.

Tracy B Strong, Introduction to the English Edition of Carl Schmitt’s Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty (ed: Schwab George), The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, p XVI (1922, 2005).

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Foucault, supra note 9 at 317; (Michel Foucault in his lectures explained these governmental practices as Biopolitics, in his words, ‘…biopolitics, by which I meant the attempt, starting from the eighteenth century, to rationalize the problems posed to governmental practice by phenomenon characteristic of a set of living beings forming a population: health, hygiene, birthrate, life expectancy, race….We know the increasing importance of these problems since the nineteenth century, and the political and economic issues they have raised up to the present’). See Bilgrami 2014 . Available at: https://youtu.be/KrcV_TZOdk0 (last visited 05 June, 2020); (Gandhi realized this phenomenon much before the elaborate works of Michel Foucault were published).

Kripalani J.B. Gandhian Revaluation of Values. Gandhi Marg 1 (1): 5–12 (1979). Available at: https://www.gandhiheritageportal.org/journals-by-others/gandhi-marg-in-english . (last accessed 02 June, 2020 (1979). Available at: https://www.gandhiheritageportal.org/journals-by-others/gandhi-marg-in-english (last visited 02 June 2020); (‘The soldier does not hesitate to kill in battle those who are not his personal enemies and those who have done him no wrong, though in his social and personal life and conduct he is a harmless person….They are oblivious of the fact that by their public and professional behavior they are violating the moral law. This is because we do not consider life as an integrated whole. We have devised different moral codes for different aspects of our life. For Gandhi, life, as we have said, is one’).

Bilgrami, supra note 10 at 121.

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Kumar, M. (2022). The Idea of Justice in Gandhian Philosophy. In: Mittal, R., Singh, K.K. (eds) Relevance of Duties in the Contemporary World. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-1836-0_2

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Gandhian philosophy: useful notes on gandhian philosophy.

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Gandhian philosophy is such an all-encompassing and comprehensive one that it would not be justified to categorize under any particular category whether it is premodern, modem or postmodern. The discussion follows shall try to throw lights on this assumption.

Let us start our critical evaluation by keeping both these philoso­phies, i.e., postmodernist and Gandhism, parallel to each other. The first facet of the postmodern philosophy is localism. As we all know, postmodernists are away from any conception of meta-narrative or grand-narrative.

They reject the idea that there are essential, universal concepts such as class, history or mode of production in the world. Instead, they argue that truth, knowledge and understanding are located within particular contexts. Completeness and consistency in a system of phenomenon and of its representations is impossible.

Analysis never ends. As a result, postmodernists are robust critics of unity whenever it is claimed to appear, die unity of the world, of knowledge, of society, of self, of the meaning, of the word. Actually, postmodernist thinkers have no tolerance for the values of Enlight­enment. Reason, universality, morality and progress – all these Enlightenment features mean nothing to them. They see the world as a dance of the demonstratively creative and creatively destructed God.

They proclaim not only the ‘death of God’ but also the ‘death of morality and metaphysics’. When truth and reason are dead, what becomes of knowledge? Postmodernism considers all types as well as sources of knowledge with equal skepticism. There is hardly any difference between science and magic. For postmodernists, knowledge is acquired not through inquiry but by imagination. As such, fiction rather than philosophy, and narratives rather than theory, provide a better perspective on human behaviour. Wittgenstein argued that all we have is language, even though its re-presentation of the reality is, at best, approximate and faulty.

Rorty asserts that we should drop even the idea of language as representation, and the postmodern project should consist only of attempts ‘to de-divinize the world’. Irony, ridicule and parody are the basic tools with which this postmodernist goal is to be achieved.

Jean-Francois Lyotard, one of the propounders of the postmodernist philosophy, writes: “I define postmodern as incredulity towards meta-narratives.” Lyotard rejects the idea of grand direction, meaning and moral path of human ‘development’. Lyotard has in mind the teleology of Marxism, the certainty of science and the morality of Christianity.

Lyotard and Rorty share with Michel Foucault the idea that knowledge is not metaphysical, transcendental or universal. Foucault characterized his theory of localism through the unique relationship between ‘power’ and ‘knowledge’.

Accordingly, knowledge, discourse and power are the keywords through which the postmodernist society develops. Foucault instructs us to develop action, thought and desires by proliferation, juxtaposition and disjunction and to prefer what is positive and multiple, difference over uniformity, flows over units and mobile arrangements over system. Believe that what is productive is not sedentary but nomadic. All the action in the postmodernist society is moving towards instability rather than stability. By explaining the nature of knowledge, Foucault says: “Knowledge is not metaphysical, transcendental or universal. Rather, it is specific to particular times and spaces.”

Similarly, Jean Jacques Derrida also accepts localism as the basic feature of the postmodernist society. He develops his unique principle of deconstruction. Deconstruction is associated with ‘undoing’ of the binaries of Western philosophy and its extension into the field of literature and postcolonial theory.

To deconstruct is to take apart, to undo, in order to seek out and display the assumption of a text. In particular, deconstruction involves” the dismantling of the hierarchical conceptual opposition such as man/woman, black/white, reality/appearance, nature/culture, reason/madness etc., which serve to guarantee truth by excluding and devaluing the ‘inferior’ part of the binary.

Hence, all the postmodernist philosophers move towards truth and knowledge with the deconstructive (Derrida), fragmentative (Foucault) and linguistic (Lyotard) approach. They are insisting that truth is not something we will discover but it is something which will be created within a continuous process.

Interestingly, truth seems to play a significant role in the postmodernist philosophy just like in the Gandhian philosophy. Gandhi was critical of any fixed definition of truth. Once it was asked to Gandhi: “What is truth?” He replied: “A difficult question; but I have solved it for myself by saying ±at it is what the voice within tell you.”

Just like the postmodernists’ rejection of foundationalism Gandhi’s attempt was to justify realist knowledge through recourse to ‘basic’, ‘fundamental’ or ‘incorrigible cognition’. According to Gandhi, one of the greatest evils of modem political and other human relations has been our tendency to absolutes what is necessarily relative. Gandhi’s insistence on the relativity of all political, religious and other human perspectives is a justification for toleration and respect for others’ relative perspectives to truth and reality.

That is why, Douglas Allen wrote:

… emphasis in Gandhi’s political thinking on relativity of truth and the tolerance of and respect for multiple voices, diversity and an enriching pluralism of significant difference are similarities what one finds in various postmodernist political orientations.

Accordingly, Gandhi accepts that in the way of struggle after truth we should try to provide due respect for the other’s truth. Gandhi’s own dynamic, open-ended, relative, experimentative approach with truth may be analyzed here in the postmodernist philosophy of localism where the nature of truth is temporal, a-historical and contextual.

For so many times, like postmodernists, Gandhi says:

“What may appear truth to one person will often appear untruth to another person. But that need not worry the seeker.” But it does not mean that Gandhi’s concept of truth is identical to the postmodernist truth. Though in Gandhian philosophy the relativity of truth is there, this relativity of truth has an ultimate aim, that is, to achieve the absolute truth.

Gandhi himself said about this time and again:

But for me, truth is the sovereign principle, which includes numerous other principles. This truth is not only truthfulness in word, but truthfulness in thought also, and not only the relative truth of our conception, but the Absolute Truth, the eternal Principle that is God. (Emphasis is mine) Here is a very important point to be noted in Gandhian philosophy, relative truth is a means to achieve the end, that is, absolute truth, which the postmodernist thinkers have failed to note, acknowledge and discuss. Their localism is an end in itself.

Local culture, local traditions are important in their philosophy. Why? To give voice to the marginalized people so that they can also feel as a member of the society. A fragmented, ambiguous and uncertain quality of the world, marked by a higher level of reflexivity, is said to be a characteristic of the postmodern culture.

This goes hand in hand with the stress on contingency, irony and the blurring of cultural boundaries. Texts are typified by the self-conscious, and intertexuality. For some thinkers, postmodern culture heralds the collapse of the modem distribution between the real and simulations.

That is why; some thinkers assume that postmodernism celebrates egoism in the name of localism. What world and whose world they will achieve with this concept of fragmentation are not clear in their philosophical approach. But Gandhian philosophy is very much clear on this sphere. He gave us the idea of unity within diversity.

In his words:

A drop torn from the ocean perishes without doing any good. If it remains a part of the ocean, it shares the glory of carrying on its bosom a fleet of mighty ships. Besides truth, non-violence is another grand-narrative in Gandhian philosophy. Ahimsa (non-violence) means avoiding injury to anybody on earth in thought, word or deed. Moreover, this is possible only if we are ready to vanish our ego. We have to reduce ourselves up to zero.

In order to understand non-violence, as suggested by Gandhi and others, it is imperative to understand how selfless action is compatible with complete self-realization of the individual person. Gandhi says, to make oneself a zero is to realize oneself completely.

When the egotism/ego vanishes, something else grows – that ingredient of the person that tends to identify itself with God, with humanity, all that lives. Therefore, according to Gandhi, once the reduction of one’s egotism takes place, the self is complete, one comes face to face with God, finds truth, and realizes the Universal Self. It shows that there is an intimate relationship between a belief in the ultimate oneness of all that lives and the belief that one cannot reach one’s own complete freedom without bringing about the freedom of others, or remove all feelings of pain by relieving the pain of others.

He expressed this concept of advaita (non-duality) in the following words:

I do not believe … that an individual may gain spiritually and those who around him suffer. I believe in advaita (non-duality), I believe in the essential unity of man and, for that matter, of all that lives. Therefore I believe that if one man gains spiritually, the whole world gains with him and, if one man falls, the whole world falls to that extent.

Gandhi’s thought, when approaching the philosophical question, is close to that of Advaita Vedanta. In this system, the word closest to the meaning of ‘self (individual self) is ‘jiva’ to that of ‘Self (universal self) is ‘Atman’, and ‘God’ in the writings of Gandhi, ‘Brahman’.

With this interesting power of discrimination between ‘self and ‘Self, the universality of the self is discerned. This leads to the conception of the essential oneness of all humanity. That is why, Gandhi believed in the essential unity of man and for that matter of all that lives. One’s own self-realization must therefore somehow include that of others.

The requirement of helping the self-realization of others, and hurting nobody, follows without further assumptions. This approach towards universal unity and spiritual oneness is found totally missing in postmodernist thinking. Thus, Gandhian thought cannot be catego­rized as postmodernist philosophy.

Further, according to the anti-essentialist postmodernists, the speaking subject is dependent on the prior existence of the discursive position. Truth is not so much found as made and identities are discursive constructions. Instead of the scientific certainty of structuralism, they offer us irony, an awareness of the contingent understanding which lacks firm universal foundations. Thinkers like Michel Foucault, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Gayatri Spivak and others are some of the pioneers in this direction.

For postmodernist anti-essentialist thinkers, we are constituted as individuals in a social process using socially shared materials. This is commonly understood as socialization or articulation. Without articulation, we should not be persons, as we have understood that notion in our everyday lives.

Without language, the concepts of personhood and identity would be unintelligible to us. There are no transcendental or a-historical elements to what is to be a person. Identity is very social and cultural. If we feel that we have a unified identity from birth to death, it is only because we construct a controlling story or narrative of the self about ourselves.

“… the inner core of the subject was not autonomous and self-sufficient, but was formed in relation to significant others’, who mediated to the subject, the values, meaning and symbols – the culture – of the world he/she inhabited.”

Foucault explains it in the following manner:

Subjects are not the producers of discourse but rather ‘positions’ in discourse which can be occupied by [any] individuals. The subject is not the ‘speaking consciousness’, nor ‘the author” of the formulation [of discourse] but a position which may be filled in certain condi­tions by various individuals. The subject is shaped by power through his/her body rather than through his/her consciousness. [Therefore], we should try to grasp subjection in its material instance as a constitution of subjects.

It shows that Foucault concentrates on issues of discourse, discipline and power. Subjects are understood as discursive constructions and the products of power, which the discourse regulates. Contrary to that, Gandhian philosophy assumes the importance of the individual instead of talking about their death! In his philosophy, the individual is not only a speaking-conscious being, but also a creator or formulator of social values and social norms. He himself says:

If the individual ceases to count, what is left of society? Individual freedom alone can make man voluntarily surrender himself completely to the service of society. If it is wrested from him, he becomes automation and society is ruined. No society can possibly be built on a denial of individual freedom.

Actually, Gandhi’s autonomous individual who governs himself resists any source of domination, whether it is a controlled/limited ancient society or the modem liberal world order. Gandhi holds that no text and no economic process can claim to possess a truth that displaces the autonomy of individuals.

Man is the maker of his own destiny in the sense that he has freedom of choice as to the manner in which he uses that freedom. But he is no controller of the results. The moment he thinks he is, he comes to grief. He repeatedly makes it clear by saying,

Man’s happiness really lies in contentment. He who is discon­tented, however much he possessed, becomes a slave to his desires. All the sages have declared from the housetops that man can be his own worst enemy as well as his best friend. To be free or to be a slave lies in his own hands. And what is true for the individual is true for society.

Thus, Gandhi’s individual is a very conscious being. Unlike the postmodernists’ subject, Gandhi’s subject is not only the maker of his own destiny, but also a choice-maker. He can hear his own inner voice and takes decisions accordingly.

Gandhi enlists his theory of conscience in his arguments on behalf of satyagraha or civil disobedience. He expects the satyagrahi to be honest to her/his deepest convictions and ready to suffer on behalf of her/his commitments.

Gandhi goes on to argue that those who witness this suffering will be prompted by their conscience and be converted. Thus, in Gandhian thought, there is not any ‘death of men’ and ‘end of metaphysics’ as it is there in postmodernist philosophy. It once again follows that he is not a postmodernist thinker.

Further, some of the postmodern anti-essentialist scholars are discussing in favor of different kinds of marginalized and subaltern movements to make them free from domination and exploitation. Similarly, Gandhian thought is also concerned with different downtrodden movements.

That is why, for Ronald J. Terchek, “the postmodern Gandhi is also talking about so many revolutions and movements for marginalized and subaltern sections of the society who are exploited and dominated by centralized powerful elite classes”.

Like Spivak and Foucault, Gandhi never takes religious texts as sacro­sanct and pure, but he studies those texts as a seeker after truth. Terchek notes: “His archaeological approach does not look at tradi­tional texts or practices sacrosanct expression of unchangeable knowledge. Rather, he wants to move beyond standard readings of traditional practices and expose those that spawn domination”.

Similarly, in the context of women or gender relations, Gandhian philosophy seems to be completely identical with the postmodernist philosophy. Gandhi spoke out against the arbitrary rules of society, which our female folk are forced to follow.

In this context, Gandhi says:

… the ancient laws were made by seers who were men. The woman’s experience, therefore, is not represented in them. Strictly speaking, as between man and woman, neither should be regarded as superior or inferior.

According to Gandhi, the woman has been suppressed under custom and law for which man was responsible and in the shaping of which she had no hand. Since postmodernist feminists like Cathrien Mackinnon and Carol Gilligon also talk about the deconstruction of all the historical, structural and hierarchical notions in the society, several thinkers insist that the Gandhian philosophy can be categorized as a postmodernist philosophy. But this is just an illusion.

Unlike postmodernist thinkers, Gandhi in his Hind Swaraj writes: “The Swaraj of my … our … dream recognizes no race or religious monopoly neither of the limited persons nor for all Swaraj is a society where every individual, whether man or woman, is a self-sufficient, self-disciplined and self-conscious being. It is a self-governed society. It will not be governed by any extended power at all. Further, in the context of decentralization and dispersion of powers, the Gandhian approach was different from others.

Gandhi says:

In this structure composed of innumerable villages there will be ever widening, never ascending circles. Life will not be a pyramid with the apex sustained by the bottom. But it will be an oceanic circle whose centre will be the individual always ready to perish for the circle of villages, till at last the whole becomes one life composed of individuals, never aggressive in their arrogance but ever humble, sharing the majority of the oceanic circles of which they are integral units.

The above lines well affirm that Gandhi’s theory of Swaraj and decentralization is very different from that of the Derridian theory of deconstruction and the Foucauldian discourse of fragmentation of power. Postmodernist thinkers emphasize differences but negate any possibility of coherence.

Contrary to that, Gandhian philosophy emphasizes certain grand or universal values, viz., absolute truth, non-violence and dharma. Its objective is to create a more moral and humane socio-political-economic system.

It is interesting to find that all the postmodernist thinkers talk about differences with equal stress. This also shows that there is a kind of unity that lies beneath their approach to differences. It further proves that there are some universal values in the universe about which Gandhian philosophy discusses at length.

It also proves that unity is natural and differences are artificially created. Gandhian philosophy can never see individual or relative truth in the absence of universal or absolute truth. Both are parallel to each other. In his famous hook India of My Dreams, Gandhi, while presenting the theory of Oceanic Circle, has accepted the fact that the individual’s recognition and societal existence are complementary to each other. Thus, he cannot be categorized as a postmodernist thinker.

The third feature of the postmodernist philosophy is anti-rationalism. Philosophers like Foucault reject ±e Enlightenment’s rational discourses. Foucault casts doubt on the Enlightenment understanding of progress. Knowledge as discourse does not unfold as historical evolution but is rather discontinuous. That is why, Foucault identifies significant epistemological breaks in knowledge across time and rejects any notion of telo or the inevitable direction of human society. He makes it obvious that there is a clear, distinctive and fine break between Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment thoughts.

Foucault’s thinking, along with the others’, split with the premises of ‘classical’ Enlightenment thought. They assumed that knowledge is perspective in character. There cannot be one totalizing knowledge, which is able to grasp the ‘objective’ character of the world. Rather, we both have and require multiple viewpoints or truths by which to interpret a complex heterogeneous human existence. Postmodernist thinkers argue that the Enlightenment has created a rational and logical society, which is instrumental in nature. This instrumental rationality creates a kind of rational imperialism.

One can find the same line of thinking even in Gandhian philosophy which rejects the domination of rationality. Gandhi was of the opinion that experience, emotion, intuition etc. are the other aspects of an individual’s personality, and these are as important as reason. In his words, “we resist the tyranny and domination of the modernity idols of science, rationalism and objectivity”.

The Enlight­enment gave us narrow, oppressive, hierarchical, reductionist projects of rationalistic and scientific hegemony. However, the rational scientific discourse is only one of the many possible ways that human beings construct their stories about political reality. The scientific narrative does not have exclusive privileged access to political truth.

Metaphysical spiritual narratives are other ways of constructing accounts that shed light on political truth and reality, and should not be reduced to scientific, rational, historical and other non-ethical and non-spiritual discourses. This shows that Gandhi also approached the same postmodernist philosophy of rejection of reason. But, there is a difference. Just have a cursory glance at the following statement of Gandhi:

I have come to the fundamental conclusion that if you want something really important to be done you must not merely satisfy the reason; you must move the head also. The appeal to reason is more to the head. For Gandhi, it is impossible to make a watertight compartmentalizing between head and heart, rationality and spirituality. According to him, rational ideas are the instrument not only to find out what is not right or untruth but also to know about truth in the real sense of the term.

One is bound to go to the heart or sometimes irrational discussions! Both head and heart have their importance in Gandhian philosophy. Any discourse where only one, that is, either heart or head, works was not acceptable to Gandhi.

Once he wrote:

The belief in God has to be based on faith which transcends reason. Indeed, even the so-called realization has at bottom the elimination of faith without which it cannot be sustained. Gandhi was of the opinion that faith is more important than reason.

Faith and belief are the medium through which one may achieve divinity but its existence cannot be proved merely by rationality. Further, what is truth? This will not only be decided by reason or head. To give a rational definition of truth in the absence of the cultural, institutional and historical background means to bow before the imperial-capitalist rationality.

Actually, all the postmodernist thinkers try to redefine the nature of truth not because they are striving to know about the essence of the truth like Gandhi, but they just want to avoid the domination or shackles of intellectual or rational power.

That is why, Foucault argues in favour of dispersal of power, Derrida for deconstruction and Lyotard of a new grammatology. However, for Gandhi, the issue is not that rationality has nothing to offer; he rejects traditional practices and ideas that he sees as ‘irrational’, such as child marriage or untouchability. For him, however, reason can overstep what he takes to be its appropriate boundaries; it cannot always be the sole arbiter to the claims of truth. He repeatedly insists that morality must meet some minimal rational standard.

Rationalism is a hideous monster when it claims for itself omnipo­tence. Attribution of omnipotence to reason is as bad a piece of idolatry as is worship of stock and stone believing it to be God. I plead not for the suppression of reason, but [an appreciation of its inherent limits]

In Gandhi’s account, there are some things we know apart from reason. Our love, trust, forgiveness and generosity do not flow primarily from reason. Indeed, for some rationalists, their feelings may be misplaced; but not for Gandhi. He sees their disposition and the actions that flow from them embodying the best in human beings.

He also knows that the opposite of these dispositions is not always reason. When love or trust is involved, the choice is not invariably between them and reason, but between love and hate or trust and suspicion. To assume that reason should always be the arbiter is to misunderstand both its strengths and limitations.

Reason can speak to an impulse to love, for example, but after a while, reason is exhausted and has nothing more to say. Gandhi wants to unite love, trust and forgiveness from calculation and join them to the development capac­ities of everyone.

Actually, Gandhi does not deny the importance of reason in understanding oneself and the broader world. However, he holds it is only one way of organizing ideas and, in some cases, not the important one.

In a nutshell, Gandhi was looking for a comprehensive and balanced approach. To define a society with its single determinants would be a patient attempt. In ancient times we tried to do it with the help of religion, in the modern era we did the same mental exercise with the help of reason and now in this postmodern era we are doing it with the help of language. However, a balanced and comprehensive approach is yet to be achieved.

This is possible if religion, reason and morality all play their active, vibrant and comprehensive roles in their own spheres of action. A unique blend of both of these philosophies, that is, postmodernism and Gandhism, may go a long way towards unveiling a new horizon.

Related Articles:

• Michel Foucault: Postmodernity is Power-Knowledge Relationship
• Philosophy and Mahatma Gandhi

Gandhian Philosophy

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Essay on Mahatma Gandhi – Contributions and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi

500+ words essay on mahatma gandhi.

Essay on Mahatma Gandhi – Mahatma Gandhi was a great patriotic Indian, if not the greatest. He was a man of an unbelievably great personality. He certainly does not need anyone like me praising him. Furthermore, his efforts for Indian independence are unparalleled. Most noteworthy, there would have been a significant delay in independence without him. Consequently, the British because of his pressure left India in 1947. In this essay on Mahatma Gandhi, we will see his contribution and legacy.

Contributions of Mahatma Gandhi

First of all, Mahatma Gandhi was a notable public figure. His role in social and political reform was instrumental. Above all, he rid the society of these social evils. Hence, many oppressed people felt great relief because of his efforts. Gandhi became a famous international figure because of these efforts. Furthermore, he became the topic of discussion in many international media outlets.

Mahatma Gandhi made significant contributions to environmental sustainability. Most noteworthy, he said that each person should consume according to his needs. The main question that he raised was “How much should a person consume?”. Gandhi certainly put forward this question.

Furthermore, this model of sustainability by Gandhi holds huge relevance in current India. This is because currently, India has a very high population . There has been the promotion of renewable energy and small-scale irrigation systems. This was due to Gandhiji’s campaigns against excessive industrial development.

Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence is probably his most important contribution. This philosophy of non-violence is known as Ahimsa. Most noteworthy, Gandhiji’s aim was to seek independence without violence. He decided to quit the Non-cooperation movement after the Chauri-Chaura incident . This was due to the violence at the Chauri Chaura incident. Consequently, many became upset at this decision. However, Gandhi was relentless in his philosophy of Ahimsa.

Secularism is yet another contribution of Gandhi. His belief was that no religion should have a monopoly on the truth. Mahatma Gandhi certainly encouraged friendship between different religions.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi has influenced many international leaders around the world. His struggle certainly became an inspiration for leaders. Such leaders are Martin Luther King Jr., James Beve, and James Lawson. Furthermore, Gandhi influenced Nelson Mandela for his freedom struggle. Also, Lanza del Vasto came to India to live with Gandhi.

The awards given to Mahatma Gandhi are too many to discuss. Probably only a few nations remain which have not awarded Mahatma Gandhi.

In conclusion, Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest political icons ever. Most noteworthy, Indians revere by describing him as the “father of the nation”. His name will certainly remain immortal for all generations.

Essay Topics on Famous Leaders

• Mahatma Gandhi
• APJ Abdul Kalam
• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Swami Vivekananda
• Mother Teresa
• Rabindranath Tagore
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
• Subhash Chandra Bose
• Abraham Lincoln
• Martin Luther King

FAQs on Mahatma Gandhi

Q.1 Why Mahatma Gandhi decided to stop Non-cooperation movement?

A.1 Mahatma Gandhi decided to stop the Non-cooperation movement. This was due to the infamous Chauri-Chaura incident. There was significant violence at this incident. Furthermore, Gandhiji was strictly against any kind of violence.

Q.2 Name any two leaders influenced by Mahatma Gandhi?

A.2 Two leaders influenced by Mahatma Gandhi are Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.

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Gandhian Ideology

Gandhian ideology (also known as Gandhism) is the set of religious and social ideas adopted and developed by India’s Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, first during his period in South Africa from 1893 to 1914, and later in India.

Although incorporating certain Western ideologies that Mahatma Gandhi was exposed to, Gandhian ideologies were primarily rooted in Indian culture.

This article will give details about Gandhian Ideology within the context of the IAS Exam . Aspirants can learn from the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and integrate it with ethics preparation of UPSC Mains GS 4.

Gandhian Ideology- Download PDF Here

Major Gandhian Ideologies

The following thoughts are part of Gandhian ideologies

• Truth and Non-violence: They are the twin pillars of Gandhian thoughts.For Mahatma Gandhi, truth translated into words and deeds. For him, the ultimate truth was God and morality. Thus moral laws and code became its basis.  As far as Mahatma Gandhi was concerned, non-violence was active love, the direct opposite of violence.
• Satyagraha: Satyagraha meant the exercise of the purest soul-force against all forms of injustice, oppression and exploitation. The method secures rights by personal suffering and not inflicting injuries
• Sarvodaya : Sarvodaya is a term meaning ‘Universal Uplift’ or ‘Progress of All’. The term was first coined by Mahatma Gandhi as the title of his translation of John Ruskin’s tract on political economy, “Unto This Last”.
• Swaraj: Although the word swaraj means self-rule, Mahatma Gandhi gave it the content of an integral revolution that encompasses all spheres of life.
• Trusteeship: Trusteeship was a socio-economic philosophy that meant the rich people would be the trusses of trusts and charities set up for the purpose of the common people.
• Swadeshi: Swadeshi, the adjectival form, means of one’s own country, but can be loosely translated in most contexts as self-sufficiency.

Swadeshi is the focus on acting within and from one’s own community, both politically and economically.

It is the interdependence of community and self-sufficiency.

For more relevant notes, visit the linked article.

NCERT Notes: Indian National Movement – Extremist Period Gandhi Irwin Pact

Relevance of Gandhism in 21st Century

Although it is widely believed that Gandhism is a challenge to pursue in the 21st century; that is not the case. Gandhi’s principles can be applied in the following ways:

• Concept of Society: The contemporary society is a complex whole which is neither value-oriented nor purely speculative. Tradition and authority which were once revered are now utterly disregarded. The whole of humanity is steered by jealousy, distrust, suspicion and hatred. Violence, poverty and intolerance are on the rise. The outer homogeneity brought by science and civilization doesn’t emanate with the inner unity of our souls. So, there is a dire need to reform our minds. He says that adherence to truthfulness should be our only purpose of existence. The ultimate end of the individual is the realization of truth and justice through consistent endeavours, not only for ourselves but for the entire humanity.
• Economy: While it is generally recognized that socialism can’t be established without the use of force, Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of socialism involves the use of non-violence. He didn’t believe in extremes and neither appreciated complete liberty, as in a capitalist democracy, nor regimentation as in communist dictatorships. His idea was that power is to be as decentralized as possible. Globalization means integration of world economies through cross-country exchange of goods, ideas, information, and many services. Dominant economies with the aid of Multinational Companies and International Organizations are serving their interests to the extent that often the interest of the poor countries is compromised.
• Education: Mahatma Gandhi thought that humanization of knowledge can lead us to immunization of ideas against communal distrust. He was critical of traditional education and said that being literate doesn’t mean being educated.
• Swaraj: Swaraj meant to be free from external influences and foreign control. Now the country is independent and free from any external control. In today’s competitive and fast-paced world, there must be control over our inner conscience. Self-empowerment is the need of the hour. Every person should search for their own identity, and shouldn’t try to fit themselves in the moulds created by society.
• Technology: The Gandhian principles are still relevant and technology can be used to enhance their effectiveness. The main tenet that he propagated was Satya.

It would include truth with respect to speech, reality as it exists and good as opposed to immoral, evil, and bad. As opposed to this, in contemporary times, people are not truthful and they are not presented with the existing reality of the system.

Here, technology plays its part. Technology can help bring the reality and truth out of the systems. It can curb our main evil, corruption. Information and Communications Technology plays a significant role in this. It facilitates the movement of data among governmental institutions, among citizens and between citizens and government as well. It helps bring transparency, answerability, and public participation.

To learn about some important political ideologies and their meaning , visit the linked article.

Aspirants can find complete information about upcoming Government Exams through the linked article. More exam-related preparation materials will be found through the links given below

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Essay On Gandhian Philosophy

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Politics , People , Independence , Resistance , Reality , Violence , India , Movement

Published: 02/20/2023

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For Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian philosopher and a leader of independence movement, such terms as swaraj and satyagraha were closely interrelated. Swaraj is a term that describes self-governance of India and its independence from domination of Britain. Swaraj, as Gandhi viewed it, was based on discarding British institutions in India and avoiding to establish a hierarchical government in India. Satyagraha is a term created and popularized by Mahatma Gandhi. This term stands for non-violent civil resistance, which Gandhi deployed in the Indian movement for independence from British domination. So, for Gandhi, satyagraha was a way to achieve swaraj, and these terms were closely interconnected for him. Satyagraha, or non-violent resistance, can be applied by a person only after aligning him- or herself with the truth and seeking out the truth that comes from God (Uebersax). If God decides to punish someone, he or she should accept this punishment. And in case a person does not want to accept this punishment, then this person should never mete out punishment to other people. Gandhi’s non-violent resistance has been largely employed in political struggles in India in its movement towards independence from Britain, in such African countries as Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana (King). In addition, principles of satyagraha have been applied in many national independence movements, religious conflicts, colonial rebellions, etc. The main political struggle that was based on the principles of satyagraha was a peaceful movement towards self-governance of India and its independence from Britain. Another region that actively used satyagraha in its movements was Africa. Many countries preferred non-violent resistance against colonialism, taxation policies of imperial powers, poor working conditions, and alienation from ownership of territories. Although satyagraha was successfully used in India, there are both advantages and disadvantages of Gandhi’s non-violent resistance. Among the main advantages are principles that satyagrahi (people who practice satyagraha) should follow: honesty, respect for other religions, nonviolence, not stealing, boycott of exported goods, non-possession, etc. However, at the same time, there are many disadvantages of a non-violent civil resistance. The first one is that a satyagrahi can be easily killed as one of the rules of satyagraha is acceptance of the opponent’s anger and readiness to suffer it. Another disadvantage is that a satyagrahi should never react and retaliate to any punishments or assaults. Also, one of the rules is that satyagrahi should voluntarily submit to confiscation of property. If a satyagrahi is imprisoned, he or she should never ask for a favorable treatment, he or she should obey all prison regulations and follow all prison rules. So, as we can see, there were many rules of satyagraha that were hard to follow as satyagraha is based on the grounds of peaceful resistance, and this is the reason why there are many disadvantages for people who support satyagraha movements. Gandhi believed that external swaraj depended on the internal swaraj. External swaraj is a political independence from foreign nations and a self-rule in the country, as it has already been mentioned above. Internal swaraj is based on the Buddhist ideas of liberation of spirit, and internal swaraj as a term means freedom from fear, illusion, and ignorance (Comer-weaver). I think that Gandhi’s position that there is an interdependence of these two terms is correct. Self-rule of people can be based only when a freedom from fear and illusion is achieved, so internal swaraj is of the greatest importance for existence of political independence that is based on the self-regulation of people. Internal swaraj can be achieved by practicing satyagraha, and active practicing of satyagraha as a non-violent resistance will lead to the external swaraj and independence of the country from foreign states. Thus, it is rather clear that for Gandhi, there was a clear interdependence of internal swaraj and external swaraj, as external swaraj could be achieved only by achieving internal swaraj in the beginning of the satyagraha movement. Plato stated that people tend to make judgements based on the appearance of objects, not on the real facts that can prove the assumptions. Plato said that there are only a few things that people do know, and in other cases people have to assume some things to determine the reality. For example, if we have seen how the car drives, we can assume that a similar car will drive in the same way. However, that will be an assumption based on the appearance on the car, and not on the reality. A good example of it will be gasoline and electric cars that look the same but work in very different ways. At the same time, Gandhi thought that human’s perception of reality is nothing more than an interpretation of the way how things appear to the human being (Borman). So, as we can see, Plato and Gandhi had different views on how appearance and reality are related, and for Gandhi, there was not much difference between appearance and reality, and Plato thought that people interpreted reality based on the appearance and assumptions of certain things that they did not know in order to make a whole picture how reality looks like.

Works Cited

Borman, William. Gandhi And Non-Violence. Albany, N.Y: State University of New York Press, 1986. Print. Comer-weaver, Liam. "Nonviolent Weapons: The Transnationalism Of Nonviolent Resistance". Undergraduate Honor Thesis. University of Colorado, 2015. Print. King, Mary. "Nonviolent Struggle In Africa". Satyagrahafoundation.org. N.p., 2013. Web. 1 Mar. 2016. Uebersax, John. "Christian Satyagraha". Satyagraha. N.p., 2008. Web. 1 Mar. 2016.

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Gandhian Ethics: Principles and Relevance in Modern Conflict Resolution | Sociology UPSC | Triumph IAS

Table of Contents

Gandhian Ethics

(relevant for ethics, integrity and aptitude ).

The aim of Gandhian philosophy is to bring about a simultaneous transformation in both the individual and society. This philosophy draws inspiration from various sources such as the Bhagavad Gita, Jainism, Buddhism, the Bible, Thoreau, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Tolstoy, John Ruskin, and many others.

Gandhian thought is intrinsically linked with ethics; it cannot be fully detached from it. His concepts are typically articulated using moral concepts and language. Ethical theories serve as the foundation for Gandhian thought across various domains.

Major Principles of Gandhian Ethics:

Satyagraha: This concept involves a continuous pursuit of truth. It primarily encompasses self-sacrifice, peace, and non-violence. Following satyagraha requires strong willpower and determination.

Trusteeship : Gandhi ethics advocated that wealthy individuals should act as trustees of resources that are meant for the welfare of the people.

Ends and Means : Gandhi ethics consistently stressed the importance of the purity of means. In his view, improper methods should not be employed to achieve legitimate goals. Just as a wrong path cannot lead to the right destination, unethical means cannot bring about ethical ends.

Concept of seven sins: Gandhi ethics identified seven sins in society that need correction: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without Humanity, Religion without Sacrifice, and Politics without Principle.

Sarvodaya : This term signifies the universal upliftment of all members of society. By embracing inclusivity, many societal ills can be eliminated.

Dignity of Labor: Gandhi promoted the idea of equality among all by making honest labor, such as bread labor, mandatory for everyone.

Role of Gandhian Ethics in conflict resolution:

• The Gandhian approach to conflict resolution relies on satyagraha, which has been described as passive resistance or nonviolent resistance. According to Gandhi, satyagraha is the commitment to Truth.
• A person practicing satyagraha attains a level of freedom that others may find elusive, as they become truly fearless individuals. Once fear is eradicated from their mind, they will never consent to be enslaved by another. With this state of mind, they will never yield to any arbitrary actions.
• Satyagraha transcends being merely a conflict resolution technique that can be scientifically analyzed. It is, in essence, an ethical framework that places significant importance on the quality of relationships between individuals.
• In Gandhian ethics , emphasizing mutual satisfaction with the resolution outcome is crucial for conflict resolution.
• Nonviolent action is the primary method in the conflict resolution process. This technique involves protest, resistance, and intervention without resorting to physical violence.

In today’s world conflict is complex and further, incorporates the utilization of physical and psychological violent instruments. The Gandhian approach addresses conflict at the individual level. Gandhi’s approach is still highly important in modern complicated conflict resolution, and there is a need to revitalise and resurrect the concept at the level of conflict resolution institutions.

Sample Question for UPSC Sociology Optional Paper:

Question 1: What is the essence of Satyagraha in Gandhian ethics? Answer: The essence of Satyagraha in Gandhian ethics is the continuous pursuit of truth through non-violence and self-sacrifice, emphasizing strong willpower and determination.

Question 2: How does the concept of Trusteeship function in Gandhian ethics? Answer: In Gandhian ethics , Trusteeship advocates that wealthy individuals should act as trustees of resources, using them for the welfare of society at large.

Question 3: How does Gandhi’s principle of ‘Ends and Means’ relate to ethical decision-making? Answer: Gandhi emphasized the purity of means in achieving any end, positing that unethical means can never achieve ethical ends.

Question 4: What are the ‘Seven Sins’ identified by Gandhi, and how do they relate to societal issues? Answer: Gandhi identified seven societal sins: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Religion without sacrifice, and Politics without principle. These sins serve as a cautionary framework for individual and societal behavior.

Question 5: How is Gandhian ethics relevant in modern conflict resolution? Answer: Gandhian ethics , particularly the concept of Satyagraha , provides an ethical framework for conflict resolution that emphasizes non-violence, truth, and mutual satisfaction, making it highly relevant in addressing modern complex conflicts.

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To master these intricacies and fare well in the Sociology Optional Syllabus , aspiring sociologists might benefit from guidance by the Best Sociology Optional Teacher and participation in the Best Sociology Optional Coaching . These avenues provide comprehensive assistance, ensuring a solid understanding of sociology’s diverse methodologies and techniques.

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Choose T he Best Sociology Optional Teacher for IAS Preparation?

At the beginning of the journey for Civil Services Examination preparation, many students face a pivotal decision – selecting their optional subject. Questions such as “ which optional subject is the best? ” and “ which optional subject is the most scoring? ” frequently come to mind. Choosing the right optional subject, like choosing the best sociology optional teacher , is a subjective yet vital step that requires a thoughtful decision based on facts. A misstep in this crucial decision can indeed prove disastrous.

Ever since the exam pattern was revamped in 2013, the UPSC has eliminated the need for a second optional subject. Now, candidates have to choose only one optional subject for the UPSC Mains , which has two papers of 250 marks each. One of the compelling choices for many has been the sociology optional. However, it’s strongly advised to decide on your optional subject for mains well ahead of time to get sufficient time to complete the syllabus. After all, most students score similarly in General Studies Papers; it’s the score in the optional subject & essay that contributes significantly to the final selection.

“ A sound strategy does not rely solely on the popular Opinion of toppers or famous YouTubers cum teachers. ”

It requires understanding one’s ability, interest, and the relevance of the subject, not just for the exam but also for life in general. Hence, when selecting the best sociology teacher, one must consider the usefulness of sociology optional coaching in General Studies, Essay, and Personality Test.

The choice of the optional subject should be based on objective criteria, such as the nature, scope, and size of the syllabus, uniformity and stability in the question pattern, relevance of the syllabic content in daily life in society, and the availability of study material and guidance. For example, choosing the best sociology optional coaching can ensure access to top-quality study materials and experienced teachers. Always remember, the approach of the UPSC optional subject differs from your academic studies of subjects. Therefore, before settling for sociology optional , you need to analyze the syllabus, previous years’ pattern, subject requirements (be it ideal, visionary, numerical, conceptual theoretical), and your comfort level with the subject.

This decision marks a critical point in your UPSC – CSE journey , potentially determining your success in a career in IAS/Civil Services. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose wisely, whether it’s the optional subject or the best sociology optional teacher . Always base your decision on accurate facts, and never let your emotional biases guide your choices. After all, the search for the best sociology optional coaching is about finding the perfect fit for your unique academic needs and aspirations.

To master these intricacies and fare well in the Sociology Optional Syllabus , aspiring sociologists might benefit from guidance by the Best Sociology Optional Teacher and participation in the Best Sociology Optional Coaching . These avenues provide comprehensive assistance, ensuring a solid understanding of sociology’s diverse methodologies and techniques. Sociology, Social theory, Best Sociology Optional Teacher, Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Sociology Optional Syllabus. Best Sociology Optional Teacher, Sociology Syllabus, Sociology Optional, Sociology Optional Coaching, Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Best Sociology Teacher, Sociology Course, Sociology Teacher, Sociology Foundation, Sociology Foundation Course, Sociology Optional UPSC, Sociology for IAS,

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